Summer is Here.

Finally hotter days have arrived. Over our long weekend I spent hours tending young plants in the garden keeping the water up to them and delighting in the growth.

This is the first of 4 little tomato plants  I grew from the New World give away last year. I first showed photos of "my little garden , "pots back on a blog on September 14th.

 Usually we grow our tomatoes from bought plants - and R has done that again this year in the fenced garden but has encountered rot problems. These wee plants of mine ( now 5' tall )  are in the vege garden beside the house and are looking bonny. This is the first truss ( of many ) to start to ripen. I do hope they taste good. - I'll let you know. Many of the other little plants/ pots are long since consumed . Every single one performed - that is amazing.

 In other parts of the flower garden there are some bright spots. Look at the face of this dahlia called Arabian Nights - it's close to black and velvety.

 A group of yellow gerbras are feeling the heat.and the hosta which prefers shade has sunburn but it still grows happily.

 On Monday which was a holiday here ,I was determined to have some time out so I spent all afternoon sitting outside in the shade of the gazebo and the mighty oak tree. 

A cooling breeze wafted through from time to time. I wasn't just sitting there sewing hexagons I was watering the garden at the same time. I devised a timing  system. Each time I got to a mitred corner I hopped up and moved the hose along. 4 hexagons with 6 corners each meant I covered quite a bit of ground literally! 

 On Saturday evening I went to the 80th Birthday dinner of one of my older quilting Buddies. Her family ( from Whangerei ) had got this cake made and iced with a quilting theme. A bit bright but quite clever. Very nice chocolate mud cake inside.

 While on food . Chooky Blue here is the recipe  as I 1st received it.

( I couldn't make your email work ) 

 You should be able to Rt. click on it and send it to your device. Use it as a starting point. I did it frying the spice and curry at the beginning which is how I normally would do it. and didn't bother with the milk.

 *******

 Now a bit of a rave.

 I had to get myself a new indoor watering can as I gave my old blue plastic one to grandson because he loved it so..

 I couldn't get one the same as they had sold out ( but I will when they get some more ) as this one IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE!

It is called A gardener's Delight ( not this gardener ). made for Bell and Curfew in UK but manufactured in China.

 Care instructions say keep out of sunlight - done that. Empty when not in use - well I tried but the stupid design means the lip of the long spout  which sticks out inside the can prevents the last of the water from being able to get out of the can. Even when it is tipped upside down and shaken it is quite difficult. It is supposed to be kept dry inside to prevent rusting! 

 Already after 1 month 's use the green powder coating is cracking.

 What a BAD design. NOT fit for purpose in my opinion. I would warn anyone else against purchasing one. I shall also be passing on my concern to the local Palmers where I bought it. It wasn't cheap!